Wednesday, October 21, 2009

I know my recent absence from this space has been abrupt in light of the considerable effort I have spent the last two years convincing readers to invest in my life.

I know that radio silence for a month is perhaps even disrespectful, giventhe fact that I have often drank deeply, nay greedily, from your virtually never-ending well of support and goodwill.

But I hope you will forgive me when I explain that since I have last written, everything I used to assume about the way my life would play out has changed.

At the beginning of the summer I applied for what I can only describe as my dream job: a job that would catapult me several steps up a career ladder on which I already occupied a comfortable middle position. It is a job that represents an enormous challenge, a job that would move me into the inner circles of the film and television industry and allow me to advocate for the people and places I hold dearest in my heart.

I am not normally a humble sort, but suffice to say I firmly believed that my application was a long shot

But I got the job.

I got the job and in just a few days I will fly to Los Angeles, California on a nine-day business trip during which I will find a place for my family to live.

In mid November I will leave Don Mills and Canada and my life here behind to chase my dreams and ambitions in a place where success in my chosen industry represents the very pinnacle of success.

I have been offered what I believe is the opportunity of a lifetime folks and I'm going for it.

It will not be easy. It has not been easy. In the month since I accepted the offer I have plummeted down the rabbit hole into a vortex of details and lawyers and contracts and home listings and visas and export papers and anxiety and studying and disbelief and sleepless nights and joy and uncertainty and heartfelt late night talks.

I will pull up stakes and move south towards the end of November. Rob and Graham will await my return about a month later and after Christmas together we will return to Los Angeles as a family to build our lives anew in a sunny place, far removed we hope from the uncertainty and darkness of the past year.

We did not know then that we would mourn her death just 11 weeks later: we have learned since that, more often than not, both life and happiness are hard fought.

And so we are fighting. And we are moving. And I am moving on from this space which I believe is incompatible with my new job, at least in its present incarnation.

In just a few weeks I will be taking Don Mills Diva private and providing a password for friends and family who may be interested in photos and basic updates on how we're doing.

If you'd like to keep in touch feel free to request the password via e-mail and if you live in the Los Angeles area especially please touch base.

I will miss Don Mills Diva and I will miss all of you. It is thanks in no small part to my readers, supporters and even dissenters, that I was successful in obtaining this job. Even more than the guerrilla social media and Internet marketing skills I learned from the blogosphere, I learned confidence in the expression of my ideas and confidence in the importance of what I could contribute.

If there is one regret that I have with regards to my withdrawal from the blogging community it is the vague sense that I took so much more from it than I was able to give. During some of the darkest days of my life you gave me a renewed conviction in my personal power and there is no way I will ever be able to repay that.

I was born in Los Angeles and lived there all of my life until we moved to San Diego ten years ago. You will love L.A. Our family all still live in L.A., so we visit all the time. When you get settled it would be nice to get to meet you.

Boo! Does this mean I won't get to meet you personally and become a bona fide stalker in Toronto? ;) I'd love to keep in touch with you, I know I have your e-mail address and you have mine, but I'd love the password too. I'll miss you and your wonderful writing. (I actually drafted an e-mail to you yesterday to see how things were going!) Congratulations and such a wonderful opportunity for you AND your family. xoxo

WOW, am very impressed, and yes, I'd love to know the password and keep up with you, but yes I am also wondering about the job itself, and if you felt like emailing me and letting me know--oooh that would be awesome.

What fantastic, enourmous changes! Congratulations Kelly! I have adored getting to know you over the last few years and I hope that doesn't end. I wish you every success, in your career and especially in your personal journeys. Bless you. You will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

I am so excited for you!! I was checking my feedreader the other day and was missing your posts. This explains it all. I will be sending you an email. Thank you for sharing your incredible words with all of us for so long.

You are such a gracious person. I can't believe that even in this situation where you are making a choice to end your blog to make way for perhaps one of the most exciting corners in your life story, you are thanking your blog readers! We should be thanking you for your beautiful farewell, for two years of sharing in your life, for your words. Good luck to you, good luck to your family! I would absolutely love to be kept in the loop if you decide to keep a blog but understand it might be a more private format than that.xoxoxoox

Wow, K. It sounds like it will be a good move, no matter how tough it is to move ever. It's been a hell of a year for you, with lots of ups and downs and big decisions, and I hope that this new start for next year is everything you hope for.

sorry we won't be seeing you at any more of the Tdot blogger dos, but would love to hear that everything is going well for you three. Take care, and soak up that sun for us up north, girl.

Your last post is fabulous, but it should be followed by a link to your next blog (Wordpress this time) where we can read about your life in sunny Los Angeles! Don't throw us away... We've never been more invested! Call it A Canadian Mom in LA and you'll soon find an international audience. I mean seriously... if I ever wrote anything that garnered 79 comments I'd wallpaper my bedroom with it.

Congratulations! Best wishes to you and your family as you embark on this great adventure. What an amazing opportunity, you deserve some sunshine both physically as well as emotionally, so I am so very happy for you. Take care and I would really like to keep on reading about your adventures.

Kelly! Congratulations on your new job and life. I live in L.A. county and would love to reconnect with you, when life settles. :)

You were be SO missed here for your beautiful writing. But, all of us are cheering you on. Blarney on the idea that you've taken more than you've given. You go forward knowing that you've given much to the blogosphere and to so many.

Wow. I must admit I haven't been the best commenter, but I just wanted to say that you will be greatly missed in the blogging community. Congratulations on your new job, I'm so very excited for you. And a big welcome to sunny California.

Many congratulations, DMD. My heart thrills for you, and makes me think such dreams are possible for all of us if we reach out, as you have done. Thank you. And much much luck and best wishes for career fulfillment and family happiness (not always easy to achieve together!). I would love to hear more from you when you get a new web address. xo